ASU Basketball: Non-Conference Schedule in Review

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils looks on during the second half of the championship game against the Utah State Aggies in the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arizona State won 87-82. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

Schedule Difficulty and Performance

Aside from his fire on the sidelines, coach Bobby Hurley is recognized for scheduling tough opponents. This non-conference slate was no different, as the Sun Devils faced five Quadrant 1 foes and played five contests away from Wells Fargo Arena.

A 9-3 finish amassed several successes, including three Q1 victories (No. 15 Kansas, No. 19 Mississippi State, No. 34 Utah State) and a road win against a Q2 opponent (No. 79 Georgia). Carrying down the weight, however, is a Q4 home loss (No. 201 Princeton).

Here’s where the Sun Devils stand in varying NCAA rankings:

NCAA Team Rankings: No. 41

NCAA NET: No. 45

Jeff Sagarin: No. 48

Pomeroy (KenPom): No. 50

Bart Torvik: No. 52

ESPN BPI: No. 53

In most of these databases, ASU is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team. But like last season, non-conference success won’t matter unless they perform in league play.

The Pac-12’s struggles have been well-noted over the last three months. This week, the league had no teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2011-12 season, making the possibility of any at-large bid grow thin.

As of Dec. 27 (pre-Princeton loss), ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had ASU as a No. 6 seed in the South region. CBS’ Jerry Palm had the Sun Devils as a No. 4 seed in the West by Dec. 17.

So yes, ASU picked up some nice victories. The wins over Kansas and Mississippi State will carry weight over time. But as the rankings above show, a bad loss (Princeton) will hurt more than a great win will benefit.

This means ASU’s league record must impress to keep a higher NCAA Tournament seed. If it’s like last year’s 8-10 mark, they could be sitting on the bubble, or out.

– Trevor Booth

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